Ash removal system for trucks



March 12, 1957 N. H. Gx-:BHARDT 2,784,858

ASHREMOVAL SYSTEM FOR TRUCKS Filed NOV. 19, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: Neil H. Gebhardt his Attorney March 12, 1957 N. H. GEBHARDT ASH REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR TRUCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19. 1955 gm? "uli lumI March 12, 1957 N. H. GEBHARDT ASH REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR TRUCKS s shets-sneet s Filed Nov. 19, 1953` FIG. 3

` Neil H. Gebhardt United States Patent O ASH REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR TRUCKS Neil H. Gebhardt, Erie, Pa.

Application November 19, 1953, Serial No. 393,198

14 Claims. (Cl. 214-508) This invention relates to ash removal systems and has for its principal object the provision of a tank in which the usual filter is omitted as the air for the fan may be taken directly from the tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a truck carried tank which serves as a natural separator for the solid particles, discharging these at high velocity so that as the solid particles impinge against a barrier they fall inert to the bottom of the tank and the tank will be filled progressively from the lower front corner to the upper rear margin of the tank, the air intake and the air outlet being located in the latter position. This permits the lling of the tank to near capacity withoutobstructing either theA inlet or the outlet.

tem wherein a controlled portion of the pressure air is bled from the closed system at a point close to the fan discharge. This permits control ofthe vacuum that pulls ash into the conveying system and provides the capacity to handle ash in the tube of the vacuum line.

Other objects of the invention are covered in the separate claims and include the use of a sudden blast of air to start the flow of ashes when there has been a cessation of flow, the provision of a simple and efficient method of dumping the ashes collected by thepressure-vacuum systern` and the convenient location of the various elements of the system on a vehicle of the usual dump-truck type, either as a permanent part of the truck or as a unit which can be installed temporarily in an ordinary dump-truck, which at other times may be used for other work.l

In previous closed vacuum conveyingsystems, it has been customary and necessary to employ either a lter or a separator, such as a cyclone separator, to clean the air as it leaves the vacuum tank in which solids are deposited and before it enters the fan intake. Filters set up resistance to the flow of air through the system. When the filters are clean, resistance is at a minimum. As they become progressively lled with dust, resistance interferes with satisfactory control of the air stream, in spite of many devices for reversing the air through the filters, etc. ln the present device, as in earlier arrangements, there is a closed system, a fan or blower providing pressure, suction, and a neutral point the latter generally beneath the receptacle in the dwelling. Without lilters, the ilow of air is not restricted and is constant rather than variable.

The truck which carries the fan, receives the ashes, has a steel pipe pressure line and a steel pipe vacuum line and these are connected by hoses to the corresponding perl manent pipes extending thru the dwelling wall so that when the ashes are to be removed it is merely necessary to connect the hoses, start the fan, usually without eventhe necessity of entering the home. The present invention simplifies the mobile portion of the system and by virtue of the high velocity given to the discharge vecuum pipe the ashes impinging upon a plate fall inertly to the bottom of the tank making it possible to draw air for the fan from a point at the opposite end of the tank and 2,784,858` Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ICC 2 without the need for a lter or any type of solids separaJ tion other than that which is provided by the tank itself.

In such a system it is necessary to bleed ofr a portion of the pressure air in order to develop the vacuum re quired to pull ash into the air stream and provide capacity to convey it in the tube of the vacuum line. To accomplish these purposes the present invention contemplates selectively withdrawing a portion of the pressure air and feeding this to exhaust bags furnished with zippers and acting much as the bag in an ordinary household vacuum cleaner type, the principal dilerence being that in this device the dust is extremely fine and is entirely free from what would ordinarily be called ashes.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the tank;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The ash removal unit of the present invention includes an air-tight tank 10 mounted on a truck, the cab of which is 11 and the rear wheels are 12. The tank is of the dumptruck type being pivoted as at 14 to the truck body in well known and old fashion. A portion of the tank 10, hereinafter called the cabinet and numbered 15, is formed in the 'upper rear portion of the dump body by means of a vertical wall 16 and a horizontal wall 17. The cabinet conveniently receives the major portion of the equipment including a fan 20, the shaft 21 of which is mounted in bearings 22 and 23, and carries at its free end a pulley 24 driven by belt 25 from a drive wheel 26 on the shaft 27 of a hydraulic motor of standard type driven by a pump (neither shown) from the usual power takeoff device of the truck.

The pipe 30 extends horizontally from the intake side of the fan thru a anged end 31 and then turns upwardly ending in afunnel-shaped air entry end 32 located very close to the top wall or ceiling 3S of the tank 10. The latter is provided with a manhole having the cover 37 for convenient access to the interior of the tank. Ail thus passing from the tank to the fan Z0 is discharged thru pressure pipe 40 to the coupling end 41 in convenient position at the very back of the truck for receiving the hose, not shown, leading to the dwelling pipes.

As best seen in Figure 1, the tank 10 has a rear portion 28 between the partition 17 and the floor 29 thru4 which the ashes may be discharged when the front of the dumpbodyV is raised about the pivot 14. The discharge is 1n the center and is controlled by the gate 33, hinged as at 34; Where the number of houses to be served is quite small, it is sometimes convenient to form the tank into a detachable portion so that it can be mounted in a dumpl truck and used exactly as described here but being readily detachable can be used say one day in ten, while the dump-truck may be used for other purposes on the other nine days or thruout the summer months.

The pressure line 40 is provided with two bleed lines 44 and 45, each provided with a control valve 46 or 47 by means of which any desired amount of bleeding can be set for thru either or both of the lines 44 and 45. Each of the two lines extend thru the wall 48 of the tank into a small side closet 49 on each side of slight depth and The house vacuuml line, not shown, may be connected by l melig-ess a hose to the.coup1ing.59. of thesteeLvacuumJine60.;at.. the center of the rear of the .vehicle in line horizontally with the pressure pipe coupling end 41. The vacuum line rises :to-za pointsnear. the topz351ofathenank,.p'asseszthrudhef partition-r.liwhichedividesvthecabinet from :theztankl'fand' 5 theretcarriesia nozzles62: Thisnozzle .hastaslopingidischargeiend sogthatthe'ashes'itend tofbedirected'sl'ightlyif downward s fronr': horizontal# and: thereforefl the-s stream; whichiszhighly.abrasive,f is guided away lfroml toplSfandJ strikes-.against` theewearplate @GS-ifwhiehiis of heavyY gau ge f I0 metal.: It'41is1fconvenient.' tollm'ount `this .plateLonbdoublef flanged'flangles.66fwe1ded` tov thef-front oithe -ta'nkthis arrangementpermittingthe :wear-platevfto be boltedf to=.1:liefr anglesianditherefore yltoilbe vvvreadily`\rernovablefand 'abitA exible,`-thi1s; allowing "the use of`V nrnueh thinner plates 15 than would be requiredfitherweariplatefwerepermae nently secured to the tank.

In use when the hoses are coupled'tothedwellihgpipes and to the pressure line 41 and the'vacuum'ilines60f-tlie hydraulic motor is started,=`having\th'e-:usual'controlrattbe 20 verybac-kofthe truckiwhereit'ismostconvenient for the operator. This control forms no part of the inventionfand the-power that drives=theffan^can be koifanytypeij The hydraulic motorhas -beenf found''in-'practiceto*be'veryV satisfactoryy because ofY its sizeg the convenience :and ease 25 with which it operates the'fan at its"-rated lspeed of "about 3,50() Rv. P. M. This speed amply'-provides"the"desired" velocity' in f the air stream and 'requiresonlyL seven "horse" power vfor its operation: Generallythe starting of/the fan starre are new Crash-buuf therey is vany"dirrmi'w ils-.serre 30 ing, the blast gate 70,5 Figure 2, is' suddenlyjopen and closed thus giving'ajarringaction'in the^airstream`th`-at willdis lodge any packingf'or arching ",ofashh'at 'might"develpf` v above-the points of `pickup and"interfere with the'entry of ash'into'fthe airstream. The"ashes'ente`r `througlrline 60-and are discharged horizontally"into"thetank through" nozzle 62. vThey are discharged .at such high velocity that they travel the "length "of `th`e"tank', impinging jsharply. against wear plate65' The passage of lair, as 'itiretr'ns to the `fanintake` at the'oppiosit-eend of A`the tank,"isv through. theentire cross-sectional area'"of the tankl and the move. ment isso'slow that' 'solidscan'not be 'carried 'iin it; The lower corner' directly' below the Wear plate is filled first' and'as ashescontinuetopileup, the ash surface rises atl an angleto'horizontal'and vertica'landslowly approaches '45 the"uppercorner"at theopposite end of the tank, near the discharge point 62"and 'the intakepipe 32T Because theashes 'fa'll iquitedeadat'impact and because yofthe i pattern of ash"acc`um1'1l'ati`on rin the tank, it can belle'd. to Vnear total capacityand continue to deliver to the funnel;l intakelair'that' is perfectly.satisfactory to pass'thionghVA thev fan Vwithout therequirement of passingit through a iilter or separator; This may/seem oddfbut the device has.. been in useifor months without Lthe fan .showing any.

Vappreciable wear; In fact,aftrhandlingapproximately,

lOO'ton'siof ash,y the fan was disassembled for inspection. l There wasv not even evidence'of wear on thesurt'aceof..V the paint"'that coated'the fan blades. The fandischarges: pressure air through' pipe 40and,'as.conditionsmwarrah the amount of.bleedingthrough'pipes.44 and 45. is'con-y 60 trolled and adjusted by 'either or bothv of the. valves 46 and '47.` Theiiow of ashes against wear plate 65 .fand-in vacuum pipe can readilybe heard and,wh'en this f sou'ndceases, the house receptacle is .usually empty) In. frequently;" there is packingor archingy of. ash. in the. receptacle abovefthe openings through which ashenters the'airstrea-m; The sudden opening and closing .of .thel blast gate will-'re-'establish the How ofl'ash.v Ifflthis' action does not re-establish'a'ow of ash,.the.operator maybe sure thereceptacle'is empty; 70

What 'I claim is:

1. In combination, a Lchassis; a`du1rip"body"pivotally carriedfby the chassisto move':.about`a--pivotfattheerean of both chassis and dump body, anfairtightita'nk *formi ingia :posi-tionrof--tlief-dump f'zbody'; a'lpipe `v-fr- 'discharging 75 ashes... into.r they tankW at high. velocity. against the front` thereof, and a gate at the rear of the tank to discharge by gravity the contents of the tafnk when the dump body is in dumping position.

2. The combination of claim l in which the pipe is a portion of a closed system including a fan, a fan intake inside of the air-tight tank, near the top thereof, proximate the discharge end of l'said'pipe, and a pressure pipe leading fromrthe fan outsideof the "ftankr-wh'ereby the tank is filled frointhe front toward the rear and the fan intake is still uncovered lwhen the tank 'has been filled to the top atvthe/frongand the fan intake 'lowersthe pressure in the tank.

3. In combination, arnotor'drived'ti'uck, an air-tight tank pivotally carried by the truck, a variable speed hydraulic motor driven by the truck, a fan driven by the hydraulic motor, pressure and vacuum lines `connected to thefan 4Ito iforrn 4with 1an; ash;receptaclel andltheetank .a

closed'ash conveying systennn bleeder :lines having-valved n connections .lwithsthe pressure line; anash. .discharge-pipe l in the tank forming a portion offthevacuumline,` and aiv fanzairfinlet als'oiindthetank.VV

v4. The combinationlof .claiml 3 Lincludingr-.a yquick-actin'gtblast valve iin `the vacuum Iline; whereby the lsudden v opening. .and1.closing .of lsaidwvalve e will.. give a jarring;A actioniinlthe Apressure :ainstreaml and thus vive-establish the# ow:'of:ashesrafter 'any kbankingror arching. thereof.-

v5 In combination', aclosed tank; alpipeextendingthrun a walliof '.theita'nkiand having` airee-fendlnearLthe '.top lof; theiltankt'ifo'r admitting fair.. to.afpressureevacuum.;ash; lcon,.- veying system, an ash discharge pipe projecting thrun saidiwalll rof 'the tank andidischarging ashes :against the opposite wall Sandimeans on-i the opposite wall .forlishield ing the wa'l1 from the labrading iactionri. ofthe. ashes.. the

inside@ end of thei discharge.pipeu` beingielocated in. prox` irnit'y-to the 'intake' end of -lthez air-admittinglpipe.

6. The deviceofclaim5 -in whichfi-said vIneansin cludes a# wear-'plate-'deta'chably i secured iat 'Sits 'twoi-sides tothe'foppositelwallg and spaced'frornV said -opposite WallinE order-1l thatithe flowof -as'hesl againstY the lwear plate may the rmoreireadilybe heard: Y

7 The deviceL off' claim 1 5 'in which the means -includesv a pair of 'spacedlvertical-channel irons fast tothe opposite wallfof f the tank,I and! a Vwearplate detachably seeuredl tothe channel ironsf 8.`In'co1nbination, la fam-a pressure line-leading from-1 the fan and adapted to Vbel'connected toV a l closed ashl-receptacle, .a plurality' ofI bleeder'lines extendingfrom the pressure 1line,favalve-in each bleeder line, an. exhaustbag connectedtoleachf bleeder line `atl the end Athereofa closed-tank; an air lpipeexhausting air from the tankffandAv leadingtolthe enti-'y1 side of '-thevfanfa vacuum ylineex tending' into'the tank and adapted to fbe'fconneetedf-to saidereceptacle and-"forming with the pressurel line,V thereeepta'clegthe `tank,fand the fan a closed system-.YA

9'.l The device-ofl claim 8in which `aquick1acting blast'- valve`1is=1ocated in the pressure line between the-fanandthefne'are'st -of the-bleede'r lines'toincrease suddenly the" vacuumein the vacuum line and increasetheifpressurein* ihefpress-u're line, whereby vtri-determine that-a-receptacle'y connected to 'the vacuum line l and the pressure f line has been #'-completely emptied:

l0. In a device for withdrawing ashes, a closed circuit including a -fan; afta'nk,'j a vacuurn'linedischargingas'hes intoitheftankffand a-pressure-'line -fromlthe-fanfa plu# to increase the csurfaeeof 'the exhaust bag -thru whi'chair maypass;i each of'y lisaidff closets .beingireetangular `with 'a' horizontal depthlle'ss thanlv the horizontalwidth andthe verticalA heights gymnases l1. In an ash handling device, a power driven truck, a dump body pivoted at the rear thereof, an air-tight tank detachably mounted upon the dump body, a fan mounted on the outside of the tank, a pipe connected to the fan and extending into the tank for discharging ashes into the tank at high velocity against the front thereof, and a gate at the rear of the tank to discharge the contents of the tank when the dump body is in dumping position.

12. In combination, a chassis, a dump body pivotally carried by the chassis, an air-tight tank in the dump body, a pipe for discharging ashes into the tank at high velocity against the front of the tank, and a gate at the rear of the tank to discharge by gravity the contents of the tank when the dump body is in dumping position, said pipe having its discharge end close to the ceiling of the tank and the discharge end is sloping so as to direct ashes away from said ceiling.

13. A tank body for an ash removal truck including an air-tight chamber having opposite vertical walls, an ash discharging pipe of a closed system passing through one of said walls and discharging ashes against the opposite wall, an air-intake pipe forming a portion of said closed system and having its entry end inside the closed chamber proximate said one wall, said chamber being unobstructed between said pipes and said opposite wall, whereby air later withdrawn from the chamber through the intake passes through the entire transverse crosssectional area of the chamber with such slow movement that the solids are deposited in the tank and a lter or separator is consequently unnecessary as the air when passing through the air intake pipe is thus substantially free of ash particles.

14. A vehicle for receiving ashes from a receptacle comprising a self-propelled chassis, a dump body pivotally carried by the chassis, and having therein an air-tight tank, a gate at one end of the tank for discharging by gravity the entire contents of the tank when the dump body is in dumping position, and means forming with the tank and the receptacle a closed pneumatic conveyor system for moving ashes from the receptacle to fill the tank, the discharge from the fan being the pressure line to the receptacle and the vacuum line of the system daischarging ashes from the receptacle into the tank, the air withdrawn through the inlet, preserving the vacuum in the tank.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 824,585 Rieth June 26,Y 1906 1,438,996 Griin Dec. 19, 1922 1,465,665 Grindle Aug. 2l, 1923 1,514,248 Bergman Nov. 4, 1924 1,707,206 Bernert Mar. 26, 1929 1,974,952 Eiben Sept. 25, 1934 1,991,403 McManamna Feb. 19, 1935 2,019,895 Dow Nov. 5, 1935 2,022,249 Lofgren Nov. 26, 1935 2,022,250 Lofgren Nov. 26, 1935 2,116,603 Holly May 10, 1938 2,184,384 Gregoric Dec. 26, 1939 2,539,109 Webb Jan. 23, 1951 

